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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. VALKER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MIGI-IIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE POWERS dt WALKER GASKET COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COFFIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,384, dated December 3, 1889. Application led July 27,1889. Serial No. 318,957. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements' in Burial-Gaskets; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to burial-Gaskets and to a sliding face-lid for the which it appertains to make and use the same. My said improvements relate to the tops of same; and my object is to provide means of adjusting, fastening, and operating such lids, and refers especially to the class of caskets shown and described in Letters Patent No. 276,312, issued to myself and William H. Powers, April 24, 1883, and wherein a sliding panel or face-lid is provided which is in area and finish a counterpart of thefixed panel, and slides horizontally in a raceway arranged beneath the fixed panel. As heretofore designed by us, however, the panels are of such thickness that'in order to provide for a flush finish the face-lid must be flexibly mounted in partially-inclined raceways, so as to be capable of a vertical movement bodily in assuming or departing from its closed position, and provided with a spring for lifting the rear end of the lid into and locking it in its closed position. By using panels constructed in concavo-convex form, (preferablyof sheet metal,) however, and covering the same with cloth, in conformity with the rest of the casket I am enabled to provide a caskettop having one iixed panel and one panel adapted to be slid underneath the fixed panel, when the casket is open, and which, when the face-lid is closed, will occupy a posi- Ition corresponding with the fixed panel, and that cannot be distinguished therefrom. The face-panel constructed of such thin material, however, having its edges adapted to slide horizontally in raceways arranged upon each side, must be adapted to move freely, and so is liable to become displaced in handling unless prevented by the use of suitable devices;

and the object of my present invention is to provide means whereby, although moving freely in such raceways, said sliding panel will be prevented from such displacement and will not bind in the raceway. vide a latch E, secured to the sliding panel when closed and lateral movement prevented when open, or partially so. This I accomplish by the construction and mechanism shown in the drawings and pointed out in the several claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a plan view of the casket-top inverted, with the lid closed; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3,a lateral section; and Fig. 4, a detail of the catch employed in this con# struction.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the several figures.

As here shown, the casket-top A is of the molded-edge variety. Cross-bars B B are permanently secured to the top A, and the iixed panel O is permanently secured to said cross-bars. The edge of the molding overlaps both the panels at A', as shown in Fig. 3, below which are placed the guide-strips D D on each side, the space between the said overhang and the top of said strips thus forming a raceway, the fixed panel being permanently raised and secured a sufficient distance from the strips to allow the sliding panel C', having its lateral edges resting on the top of said strips, to be slid underneath it. The end piece B2 and the strengthening-bar B3 are permanently secured to the sliding panel C, and are detached entirely from A, and move with the sliding panel C', beneath the xed panel C. I provide front and rear guide-stops G, secured to the under side of said sliding panel, having angle-faces adapted to engage the faces of the guide-strips D, whereby such panel, while free to move longitudinally in the raceway, is prevented from moving laterally, I also proand engaging with the notch I, for locking the sliding panel when closed, and a cord F attached to the latch, passing underneath the panel and out at the top through an aperture in B2, for operating said latch. Any suitable catch may be used for this purpose; but I prefer to use the variety illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein the catch-bolt having arms L and M is pivoted to a suitable fulcruin provided with a shoulder O for limiting its movement, and provided with an actuating-spring N.

At the outer end of the cord or cable F, I

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provide a knot or other suitable handle 1I, arranged immediately over said aperture and of suitable size to prevent its passing' through said aperture, and to aflord a convenient handle to take hold ot, and which operates both as a handle for sliding the panel and for the cord, and whereby the latch and panel may be operated simultaneously in opening the casket.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a caskettop, of a stationary panel in form substantially segmental in cross-section, a relatiVely-sliding panel which is in 'forni and exterior finish a counterpart of the fixed panel and adapted to be slid underneath the fixed panel, acatch for locking the same, and a cord or cable for operating said latch, arranged substantially as described.

2. The combination,\\'ith a casket-top, of' a stationary panel in form substantially segmental in cross-section, a relatively-sliding panel which is in forni and exterior finish a counterpart of the fixed panel and adapted to be slid underneath the same, ways arranged along the inside edges of the top adapted to support the sliding' panel, and guides arranged secured to the sides of the sliding panel, adapted to engage the face of the ways for limiting the lateral movement of the sliding panel, substantially as described.

The combination, with a casket-top, of a fixed or stationary panel substantially segmental in cross-section, a relatively-sliding panel which is in form and exterior finish a counterpart of the fixed panel and adapted to be slid underneath the same, guide-strips, as D, secured tothe top and arranged underneath the panels for supporting the sliding panel and forming raceways, substantially as described, guides, as G, secured to the sliding panel, adapted to engage the face of the guidestrips for limiting the lateral movement of the sliding panel, a catch for locking the saine, and a cord for operating said catch, arranged substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

Ll. The eombination,with a casket-top, of a sliding face lid or panel provided with front and rear guides, substantially as and tor the purpose described, a latch for locking the saine, and a cord attached to said latch for operating the same, arranged underneath said sliding panel and having its end projecting' from the head ot said panel and provided with a suitable handle, substantially as and for the purpose sct forth.

5. The combination,with a casket-top, of a fixed panel in concaVo-convex form, a crossbar l5, arranged near the middle of said top, a sliding panel which is in form and exterior finish a counterpart of said fixed panel, raceways adapted to said sliding panel, a latch secured to said sliding panel and adapted to lock the. saine, and a cord or cable for operating said latch, substantially as described.

In testi inony whereof I afiix my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

JOSEPI I if. WALKER. Witnesses:

DENNIS L. Roenes, LUTHER V. MoUL'rEN. 

